Parking antenna



Oct. 18, 1960 w. a. MEREDITH PARKING ANTENNA 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledSept. 9. 1958 INVENTOR.

WILLMM G. MEREDITH Oct. 18, 1960 Filed Sept. 9, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2/34 IO 36 J y l7 l2 I l8 n t3 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM G. MEREDITH United States Patent bill PARKING ANTENNA William G.Meredith, P.O. Box 2131, Pensacola, Fla.

Filed Sept. 9, 1958, Ser. No. 759,903

2 Claims. (Cl. ZOO-61.44)

This invention relates to automotive vehicles and more particularly toan accessory therefor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device forfacilitating the parking of vehicles and to prevent scratching anddamage thereto.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sensing devicethat may be readily attached to either extremity of the vehicle so as todetect the presence of objects not otherwise visible to the driver ofthe vehicle when moving the vehicle in close quarters.

Still an additional object of the present invention is to provide adevice of the above type that may be readily installed on new productionmodels of vehicles or on existing models in a simple and eflicientmanner.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a park ing antenna bearingthe above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimumnumber of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efficient inoperation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may had to the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the various parts of theparking antenna made in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of a mounting blockforming a part of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of an assembled parkingantenna made in accordance with the present invention mounted upon avehicle part; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the deviceillustrated in Figure 3 in inoperative use.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, and more particularly toFigures 3 and 4 thereof, a parking antenna device made in accordancewith the present invention is shown in operative association with avehicle 11, mounted adjacent to the forward end thereof. This deviceincludes a main mounting base 12 of dielectric material, ofsubstantially hollow cylindrical shape having a central bore 13extending longitudinally therethrough. A shaft 14 having a threadedportion 16 at one end slidably received within the bore 13 of the base12 has an integral stop 17 that abuts against the inside of the bottomof the base 12 so as to clamp the base 12 upon the vehicle 11 inresponse to the connection of a lock nut 18 therewith in the mannerclearly illustrated in Figure 3.

A coil compression spring 20 is frictionally secured at one end to adielectric sensing rod 21 and at the opposite end is frictionallysupported upon the adjacent end of the shaft 14, whereby the sensing rod21 is yieldably supported in spaced relationship with the sides of themain body member 12. A contact device in the form of a metallic sleeve22 having base flanges 24 fastened to the open end of the base 12, suchas by screws 33, serves as a contact element for engagement with thespring 20 in response to movement of the sensing rod 21. The enlargedcentral opening 28 of the base 12 allows for limited yieldable movementof the sensing device 21 relative thereto and relative to the contactsleeve 22.

In actual use, the unit is mounted upon either the front or rear, orboth, extremity of the vehicle 11 with the sensing rod 21 projectingoutwardly therefrom. One lead '30 electrically connects the contactsleeve 22 to one terminal of the vehicle battery 34, another such lead32 connecting the threaded shaft 16 which is in electrical circuitrelationship with the spring 20 to the audible signal device 36 which isin series circuit relationship with the battery 34. Thus, in response toa sidewise movement in any direction upon the sensing rod 21, the spring20 associated therewith is moved into engagement with the contact sleeve22 which closes the cir cuit through the audible signal 36 to emit asound that is audible to the drive of the vehicle, and which indicatesthat an object has been engaged. It is thus possible for the driver ofthe vehicle to be completely confident when parking the car or moving itin congested areas since warning will be given in advance of objects andother vehicles in the immediate vicinity of the extremity of the drivenvehicle. This is a particularly useful assembly for short persons whenthey are seated in large vehicles and cannot see objects close to thesides, front, and rear of the automobile.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. In a circuit closure for use with a clearance indicator forattachment upon the front and rear guards of a motor vehicle comprising,in combination, a base of dielectric material formed with a bottom andan internal cavity, a bore centrally located in said bottom of saidbase, a metallic shaft having an integral stop portion intermediate itsends and a threaded lower end portion, said threaded lower end portionof said shaft extending through said bore in said base and said stopportion arranged within said cavity adjacent the bottom of said base,the opposite end of said shaft rigidly arranged within said cavityspaced from the inner side walls of said cavity in said base, anelectrical contact device in the form of a cylindrical metallic sleevewith a bottom flange portion fastened to the open end of said base, ametallic coil compression spring secured at one end thereof to theopposite end of said shaft within said cavity, a dielectric sensing rodhaving one end arranged within said sleeve, the opposite end of saidcoil compression spring secured to said one end of said sensing rodwithin said metallic sleeve, means to connect said metallic sleeve witha source of electricity, movable means threadedly carried by saidthreaded end of said shaft for clampingly securing a vehicle guardbetween it and said base and forming a fixed electrical contact device,said metallic coil spring forming means acting between said metallicshaft and said metallic sleeve whereby side movement of said sensing rodimparts movement to the upper end of said coil spring effecting contactwith said metallic sleeve.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said coil spring isfrictionally secured at one end to said opposite end of said shaftwithin said cavity and the opposite end of said coil spring isfrictionally secured to said one end of said sensing rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,221,330 Schneider Nov. 12, 1940 2,508,149 Eliassen May 16, 19502,592,742 Rose Apr. 15, 1952

